Test Kettler Quadriga P5 Belt: More than 40 years ago, Kettler pushed the aluminum frame. Today, the company stands for independently designed e-bikes with innovative features that help complete e-bikes, such as the Quadriga P5, continue to emancipate themselves from bicycles.
Kettler Quadriga P5 Belt only with low step-through
Aluminum as frame material? Kettler was already offering this in the late 1970s, a good two decades before the light metal became generally accepted in the trekking and city sectors. Electric bikes? The innovative brand has been around since the mid-nineties, which means that Kettler was there a few years earlier than many other manufacturers. The provider in this segment, which now belongs to the Cologne-based ZEG, only gradually got its own unmistakable face - more precisely with the presentation of the Quadriga series, which now includes numerous different models from full-suspension sports bikes to city pedelecs. The latter is perhaps particularly typical of the series - the striking chain guard, which fits perfectly into the design of the frame, is not found anywhere else. The design of the top tube on trapezoidal and diamond frames is also unusual: what traditionally ensured greater frame stability was robbed of its function by designer Tomas Fiegl and reduced to a design element - a groundbreaking step towards a unisex frame shape that women can take without sacrificing stiffness like men offers a lot of comfort and easy handling.
Which brings us to the Kettler Quadriga P5 Belt, which is actually only available as a step-through model in this configuration – if you want it with a diamond frame, you have to do without the advantages of the belt drive, and that would be a shame, especially in everyday use. The toothed belt is practically maintenance-free; Apart from the fact that its tension has to be right, no oiling or greasing is necessary, which means that the cumbersome cleaning à la chain is no longer necessary. Of course, the belt Quadriga also offers the already mentioned integrated chain guard, and thus the typical look of the series with the discreetly fitted motor, which almost completely disappears behind an attractive cover.
As with so many e-bikes with a mid-engine, Bosch technology is also used on the Quadriga: Kettler installs the high-torque Performance Line, which pushes powerfully and pleases with its smooth running. The propellant is flanked by the Intuvia display and an Intube battery, which is available with 400, 500 or 625 watt hours. And the mint green city bike is also attractively equipped in other respects, even if, given the strong, reliable disc brakes, you might ask yourself whether a variant with an additional back pedal is really necessary.
Five-speed hub gears: perfect for e-bikes
No questions arise in view of the five-speed hub gear; this is probably the best choice for a city e-bike. Well, why that is so, perhaps it needs to be briefly explained: In view of the strong support provided by the current drives, the proven Shimano eight-speed hub mainly uses the top three to four gears - even with double-digit gradient percentages. Since the eight gears are comparatively close together, you have to switch gears quite often, which is always associated with a short pedal break with the hub gear. With the five-speed hub, the lightest gears are omitted, since you don't need them on the e-bike anyway; since the gradation is not so fine, you also switch less frequently. It could hardly be more comfortable when cycling through everyday life.
Especially if you can enjoy the benefits of a functional, if not very long-travel, suspension. The spring support and fork ensure a lot of comfort on the Quadriga, especially in view of the upright sitting position that comes about thanks to the comfortably shaped handlebars. It's perfect for cruising through the city, and you can enjoy the other features of the P5 Belt - such as the solid luggage rack, which is no longer fixed to the frame like the original Quadriga, but looks more delicate as a result, or the really bright one LED lighting system.
And that's not all: If you take a closer look, you will discover additional details such as the magnet holder on the down tube, to which a special drinking bottle or bag can be attached, as well as the coupling for a Kettler children's trailer integrated into the left chainstay. This is also a unique selling point with a high utility value - perhaps not as revolutionary as the use of aluminum once was, but in any case so practical that, together with the other advantages of the Kettler Quadriga P5 Belt could be enough for a purchase decision.
